By Lily Angelle
With the holidays creeping up on us, this week is most likely being spent attending ugly sweater holiday parties or shopping for some last minute stocking stuffers. Why not give yourself a little break from the holiday grind and attend one of this week’s events in the Austin Book World? Here’s what is happening in the community this week:
Thursday,
December 18th at 5:30PM – In exception of Christmas next Thursday, BookPeople will host their Happy Hour Book Club (typically takes place the last Thursday of the month) on the 18th at Opa on South Lamar. Over cocktails, stop by and discuss The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson.
Thursday, December 18th at 7:00PM– Malvern Books will host their monthly meeting to discuss the 
experimental opus of James Joyce in their Finnegans Wake Reading Group. Participants will take turns reading aloud from the text, followed by a discussion of interpretations. This event is free and open to the public.
Friday, December 19th at 7:00PM – Malvern Books presents: An Evening with Hoa Nguyen, Dale Martin Smith, and Julie Choffel. Nguyen and Smith founded Austin’s poetry journal Skanky Possum. Smith is a poet, and Nguyen has written 9 books and chapbooks. Choffel is an Austinite who’s won the Poets Out Loud prize.
Saturday, December 20th, 11:30AM – BookPeople’s BookKids presents a book from their annual winter catalog, Shh! We Have a Plan, along with other catalog picks.
Saturday, December 20th, 2:00PM – In a series called The Lion & The Pirate Unplugged, Malvern Books will host an open mic for writers and musicians. Perform
ers of all ages and abilities are welcome to participate.
Sunday, December 21st, 2:00PM – Malvern Books will welcome acclaimed writers Mong-Lan and Abe Louise Young as they read their recent work.
Sunday, December 21st, 3:00PM– BookWoman will host their Winter Solstice Celebration with guest poets, a solstice ritual and live music.
Tuesday, December 23rd, 10:30AM – BookPeople’s Christmas Classics Storytime will gear you and the kiddos up for the soon to arrive holiday with a reading of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.